I have tried this game multiple times in the past but never really stuck with it, but last week I got a DS Lite and a few game so I decided to give it another shot.
Gameplay wise this isn't that different than the classic trilogy. Physics and other minor things aren't completely one to one, but the levels were designed around them so that isn't really an issue. I found it was a pretty solid experience until the final normal Zone (technically 2 Zones but they are similar enough that they are effectively Act 1 and Act 2 under different names). It suffers a lot from enemies and hazards that hit you before you can notice them.
The biggest problem with the game is probably Amy. She doesn't play like the others, instead she is a very combat heavy and works best if you take things slower. The problem is the game isn't designed to accommodate her, so either the level design will put you in a position where you are going too fast to defend yourself or can't get enough speed to get through some sections of the level without issues. Overall leading to a janky feeling playthrough. Thankfully you don't need to play as her to get the good ending.
One thing I initially wasn't looking forward to was collecting the Chaos Emeralds, because of their bad reputation. So I was surprised to find that I enjoyed it. To enter the special stages you need to find the giant springs hidden in 7 of the 12 acts in the game. This wasn't as hard as I thought because due to being springs they were placed somewhere on the top route, usually with a platforming challenge that is easier to spot than the spring itself.
As for the Special Stages themselves? Well depth perception is definitely an issue, but with enough practice I adapted to it. Initially I thought the stages were too hard, until I realised 2 key things. First of all if you start diving you get pulled into the middle of the stage and can get through smaller gaps than if you were falling normally. Secondly, with the trick Rings you need to do a trick right after passing through it to get the rings and not as you go through like I originally thought.
I will definitely be adding this to my regular rotation of classic Sonic games, although probably just as Sonic, Tails and Knuckles.
Gameplay wise this isn't that different than the classic trilogy. Physics and other minor things aren't completely one to one, but the levels were designed around them so that isn't really an issue. I found it was a pretty solid experience until the final normal Zone (technically 2 Zones but they are similar enough that they are effectively Act 1 and Act 2 under different names). It suffers a lot from enemies and hazards that hit you before you can notice them.
The biggest problem with the game is probably Amy. She doesn't play like the others, instead she is a very combat heavy and works best if you take things slower. The problem is the game isn't designed to accommodate her, so either the level design will put you in a position where you are going too fast to defend yourself or can't get enough speed to get through some sections of the level without issues. Overall leading to a janky feeling playthrough. Thankfully you don't need to play as her to get the good ending.
One thing I initially wasn't looking forward to was collecting the Chaos Emeralds, because of their bad reputation. So I was surprised to find that I enjoyed it. To enter the special stages you need to find the giant springs hidden in 7 of the 12 acts in the game. This wasn't as hard as I thought because due to being springs they were placed somewhere on the top route, usually with a platforming challenge that is easier to spot than the spring itself.
As for the Special Stages themselves? Well depth perception is definitely an issue, but with enough practice I adapted to it. Initially I thought the stages were too hard, until I realised 2 key things. First of all if you start diving you get pulled into the middle of the stage and can get through smaller gaps than if you were falling normally. Secondly, with the trick Rings you need to do a trick right after passing through it to get the rings and not as you go through like I originally thought.
I will definitely be adding this to my regular rotation of classic Sonic games, although probably just as Sonic, Tails and Knuckles.